Читать книгу Murder of a Lady - Robert McNair Wilson - Страница 9

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Her husband’s arrival exerted a singular effect on Oonagh. She seemed to gather her wits and discipline them in an instant. When Eoghan demanded in tones in which anxiety and anger were mingled why she had left Duchlan, she answered:

“Because I had something to say to Dr. Hailey.”

The words were spoken with a degree of assurance which was the more remarkable from the brightness of the moon. It seemed to the doctor that Gregor must observe the condition of his wife’s clothing. But apparently he was too agitated to observe anything.

“It’s dreadfully inconsiderate of you,” he cried, “especially at such a time. My father roused me to come to look for you. He’s terribly distressed.”

“He knows that I wished to talk to Dr. Hailey.”

“But not at this hour, surely!”

“Did your father tell you where to find me?”

“He said you might be here.”

“He knew where I was.”

Eoghan remained silent, gazing at his wife. He faced the moon and Dr. Hailey saw that his features expressed a deep melancholy.

“I should like you to come back with me now.”

“No, Eoghan.”

“What?”

“I can’t come back to Duchlan.”

A look of bewilderment appeared on the young man’s face.

“Why not?”

“I can’t.”

“You must come back.”

She shook her head.

“Dr. Hailey is going to ask John MacCallien to put me up for the night.”

“Oonagh—”

Eoghan tried to grasp his wife’s arm. She shrank from him.

“Please don’t.”

“Surely, Doctor,” he cried, “you can’t approve of behaviour of this sort? We have sorrow enough at Duchlan...”

He broke off. Dr. Hailey considered a moment and then turned to him.

“I should like you both to come into the house with me,” he said, “I have something to tell you.” He glanced at Oonagh, whose face expressed a lively dissent. “I shall not try to persuade you against your will. All I want is to put you and your husband in possession of certain facts.”

“I don’t wish to hear them.”

He realized that she feared the discovery of her attempted suicide and pitched about in his mind for some means of avoiding that discovery. There were none. He weighed the danger and took his decision.

“I have just rescued your wife from drowning,” he told Eoghan in matter-of-fact tones.

“What!”

“It’s as I say. The bank of the burn, under the castle, is very steep and it’s easy, as you know, to slip on that steep bank. There’s nothing to break the fall till the burn is reached and at high tide the water in the mouth of the burn is deep.”

He spoke in challenging tones. He added: “Please don’t ask any questions just now; I shall not answer them.”

He watched the young man and saw his expression change from melancholy to fear. Eoghan’s fists were clenched. Suddenly he caught his wife’s arm, holding it in a strong grip. This time she did not shrink from him. They walked to the door of the house in silence. It was ajar. Dr. Hailey led the way into the smoking-room and switched up the light. An exclamation of dismay broke from Eoghan’s lips when he saw his wife. He came to her and put his arm round her to help her to a chair. A fire was laid in the grate; he stooped and lit it. Oonagh’s eyes followed every movement, but her face remained expressionless.

It was an interesting face in spite of its weakness. Even in her distress, the girl managed to convey a remarkable impression of vitality. Dr. Hailey glanced at Eoghan. There was vitality in his face too, but it was clouded by his melancholy. Oonagh, he thought, was one of those women who need to depend on a man’s direction. Was this man capable of giving her the support without which her vitality must constitute a danger?

“As you know,” he said, “I had an opportunity of inspecting Miss Gregor’s body this evening. That inspection has convinced me that she was killed by someone possessed of great strength and using a weapon taken from a fishing-boat. That’s the first fact that I wish to make known to you.”

He sat down and put his eyeglass in his eye. Although his clothes clung to him rather dismally he had not lost his kindliness of manner.

“Why do you think the weapon was taken from a fishing boat?” Eoghan asked.

“Because I found the scale of a herring near the edge of the wound.”

Oonagh raised her head sharply.

“That would mean that the scale had been on the blade of the weapon?”

“I think so. I don’t see how it could have reached the place where I found it in any other way. There was only one scale, so I conclude that the weapon was wiped before being used.”

The girl moved her chair nearer to the fire. He saw her knuckles whiten as she grasped its arms.

“Queerly enough,” Eoghan said, “I bought some herring from a fishing boat on my way across the loch last night. They were pulling in the net when I passed them and I couldn’t resist the temptation. The launch is full of herring scales.”

He spoke calmly but his words exerted a strong effect on his wife, who bent closer to the fire as if to hide her uneasiness. A lambent flame revealed the tense expression on her face.

“Still, you didn’t visit your aunt, did you?”

“Yes, I did.”

“I understand, from what your father said, that he called you early this morning to help to break into Miss Gregor’s room.”

“Oh, yes. But I went to her room before I went to bed last night. Her door was locked.”

Dr. Hailey waved his hand in a gesture which indicated that he would not at present concern himself with that aspect of the matter.

“The second fact I wish you to know,” he said, “is that some time elapsed between the infliction of the wound and the death of Miss Gregor. During this time the murderer remained in the room. That is certain, because, had the weapon been withdrawn from the wound before death, a very much larger quantity of blood must have been spilt.”

“Have you any idea,” Eoghan asked, “how the room was entered?”

“Possibly by the door. The door was locked in the morning but...”

“It was locked when I tried it at eleven o’clock last night.”

“Even so, you don’t know when, exactly, the key was turned, do you?”

“I know,” Oonagh said in quiet tones.

“What?”

She faced Dr. Hailey. He saw that excitement had returned to her eyes.

“I went to Aunt Mary’s room just after ten o’clock,” she said. “I knocked and then opened the door. Christina was just going to leave the room. I took her candle from her and went towards the bed where Aunt Mary was lying. When Aunt Mary saw me she sat up and began to gasp. I was frightened and went out and shut the door. I heard her get out of bed and run to the door. She locked the door. Christina had gone away.”

Oonagh’s voice had become louder but was still subdued. There was an assurance in her tones that carried conviction.

“How do you know Miss Gregor locked the door?” Dr. Hailey asked.

“Because I tried the handle. I thought that perhaps she was ill and that I ought to go into the room again.”

“You are quite sure of that?”

“Absolutely sure. I tried the handle several times.”

“Did you call to Miss Gregor while you were trying the handle?”

“Yes. She didn’t answer me.”

Dr. Hailey turned to Eoghan.

“Did you call to her when you tried the handle?”

“I did, yes. I got no answer. I thought she had fallen asleep.”

“Aunt Mary seemed to be terrified of me,” Oonagh stated. “I have never seen anyone look so terrified in my life.”

“She wasn’t easily frightened, was she?”

A smile flickered on the girl’s lips.

“Oh, no.” She added: “Until that moment I had been frightened of her.”

“Do you think she was calling for help?”

“No, that’s the strange thing. I think she was just dreadfully afraid. Panic-stricken. Like a woman who sees a ghost. She didn’t try to call Christina back.”

Dr. Hailey leaned forward.

“How were you dressed?” he asked.

“I was in my night-dress. I was wearing a blue silk dressing-gown.”